Happy belated Valentine's Day!
I hope you had a lovely one, and were spoiled rotten by your Valentine (or yourself, if you didn't have one).
I hope you had a lovely one, and were spoiled rotten by your Valentine (or yourself, if you didn't have one).
I didn't have a Valentine, either, but who cares? I decided to be my own Valentine this year! I bought myself some chocolates, and the week before, I treated myself to two brooches from Erstwilder's new Valentine's collection, 'With Love', as an early Valentine's present to myself. If you can't buy yourself jewellery for Valentine's Day without feeling guilty, when can you, eh?
I wanted to review my new brooches for you on Valentine's Day, but I spent all last week struggling with some of the worst chronic pain I've experienced in years, and just wasn't able to finish this post in time. Things haven't been much better this week, and I only managed to take the photos for this post yesterday. so I hope you'll forgive me for posting about something partially Valentine's related a week late because the brooches I have to show you are ridiculously cute.
I wanted to review my new brooches for you on Valentine's Day, but I spent all last week struggling with some of the worst chronic pain I've experienced in years, and just wasn't able to finish this post in time. Things haven't been much better this week, and I only managed to take the photos for this post yesterday. so I hope you'll forgive me for posting about something partially Valentine's related a week late because the brooches I have to show you are ridiculously cute.
With Love is the most adorable Valentine's jewellery collection I think I've ever seen. Based on cutesy vintage Valentine's Day cards, and designed in Melbourne by Carmen Hui, it features twelve brooches, one necklace, and two pairs of earrings, each even cuter than the last.
There were half a dozen pieces I desperately wanted (although, I could've happily bought the whole collection), but I somehow behaved myself, and limited myself to two to stop myself buying them all. I impress myself with my willpower sometimes. Gold star for me! Surely that level of restraint deserves another brooch??
Just kidding. I'll be good.
Would you like to see which pieces I bought?
There were half a dozen pieces I desperately wanted (although, I could've happily bought the whole collection), but I somehow behaved myself, and limited myself to two to stop myself buying them all. I impress myself with my willpower sometimes. Gold star for me! Surely that level of restraint deserves another brooch??
Just kidding. I'll be good.
Would you like to see which pieces I bought?
The first brooch I have to show you is my favourite piece from the collection- an adorable skunk brooch called Stinkin' Cute. I've always loved skunks (they're just so stinkin' cute), so I fell in love with this brooch the moment I saw a preview of it on Instagram, and I didn't need to see the rest of the collection to know I'd be buying one. Thankfully, I managed to snap him up before he sold out, because, unsurprisingly, he sold out from every UK stockist so fast. I'm glad I did, because he's such a gorgeous piece.
He's been made from glossy plain black and pearlescent marbled white resins, with a glitter red resin used for the big red heart he's carrying in his paws for his Valentine. You could not find a more perfect skunk brooch. I wore him on Valentine's Day and I've got him pinned to my PJs again today, and I fully intend to wear him all year round. A skunk is for life and not just for Valentine's Day.
He's been made from glossy plain black and pearlescent marbled white resins, with a glitter red resin used for the big red heart he's carrying in his paws for his Valentine. You could not find a more perfect skunk brooch. I wore him on Valentine's Day and I've got him pinned to my PJs again today, and I fully intend to wear him all year round. A skunk is for life and not just for Valentine's Day.
It was hard narrowing down my other favourites to just one, but for my second choice I went with a pink kitten brooch called Feline the Love. I didn't previously have a cat brooch in my collection, and I thought this pretty pastel pink kitty was the purrfect piece for a first time cat brooch adoptee. The design is too cute, and the colours and resins used to make her are so pretty that I found her impossible to resist. She's made from stunning white and pale pink pearlescent marbled resins, with a plain rose-pink tail and leg, dusky pink markings, and black detailing to her paws and cute little heart-shaped face. Like the skunk, she's also carrying a big red heart in her paws, but rather than being glittery, this one is made from a textured resin, so it has an amazing rippled appearance, which shines in multiple shades of red. It has such a retro, vintage look, and I think it will look particularly adorable pinned to pastel-coloured mid-century style outfits all year round.
The great thing about both brooches, and the 'With Love' collection in general, is that while they are the ideal finishing touch for any Valentine's Day outfit, they're subtle enough to be worn on any other day of the year, too. I'll definitely be wearing them in all seasons, anyway.
The great thing about both brooches, and the 'With Love' collection in general, is that while they are the ideal finishing touch for any Valentine's Day outfit, they're subtle enough to be worn on any other day of the year, too. I'll definitely be wearing them in all seasons, anyway.
If these brooches weren't cute enough already, every piece has been packaged in special red polka dot heart-shaped boxes, like a little box of novelty Valentine's chocolates! How cute is that?! They're so much cuter than the regular Erstwilder packaging, and make them even lovelier to give as gifts to brooch-loving ladies (or yourself!) on any other day of the year to show you care.
There are still lots of pieces from the collection available, which you can buy direct from Erstwilder in Australia, or from their stockists around the world here. I've still got my eye on the dalmatian and the donkey.
Have you bought anything from the With Love collection? Which pieces are your favourites?
There are still lots of pieces from the collection available, which you can buy direct from Erstwilder in Australia, or from their stockists around the world here. I've still got my eye on the dalmatian and the donkey.
Have you bought anything from the With Love collection? Which pieces are your favourites?
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Your photos are always so beautiful! They show off how amazing the brooches are! Glad you were able to treat yourself! We can now be brooch twins! I found it hard to narrow it down to one, but there was just something about Feline the love. The cute kitty, the colour!
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